Date of Conferral

9-24-2024

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Jennifer Seymour

Abstract

When special education was first introduced into the general education environment, students were served in separate classrooms. Throughout the years, special education services have evolved and students with mild to moderate disabilities are now educated alongside their non-disabled peers. The foundation of the social interdependence theory is that outcomes are often determined by individual interactions and the interdependence structured in specific situations. For this interdependence to be present, more than one person must be involved and changes in one person must impact change in the others participating. This is part of the foundation of co-teaching. While there is a great deal of research on inclusion and co-teaching, there is a lack of research which targets the perception of those implementing the strategy in the classroom and their view on the effectiveness of this strategy on students with disabilities (SWD). The purpose of this qualitative project study was to explore the experiences of general and special education teachers (SPET) currently working in co-teaching settings. Interviews were conducted with eighth grade general and special education teachers using this strategy in a math classroom. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed with a web-based service. Data was analyzed by reviewing transcripts for codes, categories and themes. Results indicate mostly positive experiences with SPET noting they are not given enough time to meet all the demands of their position. The results of this study can be far-reaching by providing others with the direct views of those implementing these practices in the classroom. Further research of co-teacher perceptions in other grade levels and courses is recommended.

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